The Arthur J. Pejsa Observatory


 

OBSERVATORY STATUS: The public observing sessions of Spring 2024 will start on Monday, January 29, weather permitting.The current status of the session will be updated here at about 8:00 PM on the scheduled night (see blue text below). 


Our regular Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday evening telescopic stargazing programs will continue (for a while longer) to be held at the Colman Field, close to the intersection of Maria Dr. and Reserve St. (see map linked below). Parking is available along Reserve Street, just outside the fenced track field. ​​​

UWSP Campus Map

Today is Wednesday, March 27​, and the stargazing session is canceled due to scattered clouds and wind gusts​​.​​


APRIL 8 - PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE - We will have telescopes equipped with solar filters available for our students and local community at Colman (track) Field, close to the intersection of Maria Dr. and Reserve St (see the map linked above). We will start at 12:30PM and, weather permitting we will follow the partial eclipse for its whole duration​ until about 3:20​PM.


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​NEW 2023-2024: We are available for scheduling telescopic stargzaing sessions at your school, on most Friday and Saurday nights (during the Fall 2023), and on most Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights during the Spring 2024. Interested PTO/Principlas from schools in the SPASD district, please email the Observatory director​​, and we will promptly follow up with a more detailed plan.  





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We offer observing sessions every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights between 8:30-10:00 PM, weather permitting.


Located on the roof of the Science Building at the UW-Stevens Point campus, the Arthur J. Pejsa Observatory houses a 0.4-m (16-inch) Meade, computer controlled telescope. Normally the observatory is open for public viewing three nights per week (if the skies are clear) during the school year. Monday nights are specifically designed for the public while Tuesday and Wednesday nights are used primarily by astronomy students, but anyone is welcome. Public viewing runs from mid-September to mid-December, then late-January through mid-May. Most summers the observatory is closed. In the winter, dress warmly since the observatory temperature is the same as the outside temperature.
 
Access to the observatory is obtained by using the southwest stairwell in the Science Building and going to the fourth floor, room D402. Visitors are best advised to go to the third floor and follow the signs to the observatory by accessing the southwest stairwell.  IF THE SKIES ARE CLEAR, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, from 8:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. the Arthur J. Pejsa Observatory is open and is staffed by knowledgeable astronomy students and staff who will find and describe various interesting objects that can be seen in the current night-time sky.  The staff will then allow visitors to observe them through the telescope.
 
NOTE: IF SKIES ARE CLOUDY, THE OBSERVATORY WILL BE CLOSED. ALSO, IF THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW ~10 DEGREES WE WILL ALSO DECIDE TO CLOSE DUE TO TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS RELATED TO COMPUTER SCREENS, POOR COOMUNICATION BETWEENOMPUTERS, TELESCOPE, AND DOME.   
 
The observatory can be contacted to determine if we are open and have clear skies from any touch-tone phone by calling (715) 346-2208 and selecting the observatory option (number 5) from the automated attendant.  On Monday through Wednesday evenings we update our message at about 8:00 p.m. to give visitors our best estimate of the probability of clear skies and if the observatory will be open.